LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — A Michigan man who was arrested after he drove his pickup truck and trailer into the enclosed entrance of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant and claimed he had a bomb, pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Friday.
Michael D. Fogelsong, 33, of Adrian Michigan was booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of making false statements, a third-degree felony and aggravated trespassing, a first-degree misdemeanor.
On Wednesday night, investigators determined Fogelsong drove his pickup truck with an enclosed trailer to the entrance of the facility. When approached by security, he claimed to have a bomb in his trailer and he refused to leave.
The Lake County Bomb Squad and the FBI determined the truck and trailer did not contain any dangerous ordnance.
During the video arraignment, Fogelsong begged Judge Michael Cicconetti to let him out, citing there was something going on with his body that he needs to get home to his doctor so he could figure it out.
“I didn't even know I was in Perry County or in the nuclear plant later that evening,” he told the judge.
Cicconetti said if Fogelsong did in fact have a mental health issue “it was all the more reason” to keep him confined until he can be evaluated.
When Fogelsong attempted to talk again to the judge to let him out, Cicconetti made it clear he was going to remain in jail.
"I'm going to keep you there because I'm sick and damn tired of people coming in here and saying I have mental health issues. Then we release them out and what happens? They end up going and shooting people. That's what happens. Yeah, that's the problem with this whole damn system. Now, everybody has a mental health issue," Cicconetti said.
If released on bond, Fogelsong will be ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device and is not allowed to operate a motor vehicle.
Cicconetti ordered an immediate mental health evaluation of Fogelsong.
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